The irregularity was detected at the drug store of Jaya Prakash Narayan Hospital, Gaya, during the review of medicine supply system .(File photo)

The drug store at a government health facility in Gaya district of south central Bihar was sealed and its in-charge suspended after it was found that expired medicines had been supplied from there to state-run hospitals and primary health centres.

The irregularity was detected on Monday at Jaya Prakash Narayan (JPN) Hospital at Gaya, 100 km south of state capital Patna, during the review of drug supply system in the district. The review work was undertaken as part of Magadh division commissioner Jitendra Srivastava’s initiative to streamline health services in five districts of the division.

A day after the abnormality surfaced, district magistrate (DM) Kumar Ravi ordered sealing of the drug store and deputed a magistrate to examine the medicine stock.

Civil surgeon Dr Baban Kunwar said 39 types of expired drugs were recovered from the store. Kunwar said he had suspended drug store in-charge Abhay Sharma and constituted a five-member team to inquire into the racket.

“I have asked the probe team, headed by physician Dr Ram Chandra Prasad and comprising three drug inspectors and a pharmacist, to submit its report in 10 days,” the civil surgeon added.

When asked about the impact of the sealing of the drug store on the supply of the medicines to centres, Kunwar said everything would be normal within next two-three days.

It is not for the first time that the JPN Hospital’s drug store is in the eye of storm. The state government’s drug department had inspected the store in January and found similar irregularities. Drug inspector Ashok Kumar Yadav had then prepared a detailed report and submitted it to the civil surgeon for further action. Subsequently, the civil surgeon sought an explanation from the pharmacist of the drug store, but the order was not complied with.